This watch by Hamilton is as cool as it was when worn by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black, and even earlier when it was the personal watch of Elvis Presley. The King would have celebrated his 80th birthday on 8 January 2015, and this is the reason for this relaunched watch’s name, Elvis 80. It is made in quartz and automatic versions, and the latter is powered by the Hamilton H-10 movement, exceptional for its 80-hour power reserve.
There is a lot of engineering in a watch such as this, with its triangular case (42.5 x 44.5 mm, 50 metres water resistance) calling for a bespoke watchglass, strap and strap fitting assembly. The new version differs from the 1957 original in that the angular stepping of the old version has been replaced by contemporary complex cuves, enhanced by differential brushed and smooth surfaces. The automatic version is in a black PVD case with rubber or leather strap, while the quartz models have stainless steel highlights. Hands are coated with white SuperLuminova.
References and price
The Hamilton Ventura Elvis 80 Auto is made in two references, H24585331 (rubber strap) and H24585731 (leather strap with exposed stitching. Both cost 1,425 Swiss francs, €1,295, US$ 1,495.
The Ventura Elvis 80 Quartz is made in three references shown below, H24551131 (steel bracelet), H24551331 (rubber strap), and H24551731 (leather strap). They all cost 995 Swiss francs, €895, US$ 1,045.
